Naira scarcity: CBN moves to decongest ATMs, banking halls in Nasarawa

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has deployed agents to some commercial banks premises in Lafia, Nasarawa State to facilitate its new naira swap policy.

Mr Atiku Muhammed-Nasir, Director, Security Service of the apex bank, told newsmen on Friday in Lafia that the measure was to help decongest the banking halls and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) of horde customers scrambling for the new naira notes.

According to him, CBN is committed to easing the stress Nigerians were going through in order to access the new naira notes.

“So, we decided to deploy agents with cash in some commercial banks in Lafia, where each customers could access a maximum of N10,000.

“The exercise has helped a great deal as the scrambling had reduced considerably. We are optimistic that in the coming days, the situation will improve,” he said.

The director said that the exercise would be sustained until further notice, adding that CBN was working in collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to guard against sabotage from commercial banks and Points of Sale (POS) agents.

Some of the customers, who spoke to our correspondent express delight with the new measure to enable them to access cash.

Miss Jennifer Ndukwe, a student, said she had been coming to one of the new generation banks in Lafia to queue at ATM for three days without getting cash.

“I decided to come try again today and luckily, I saw the agents and I have been able to get some cash.

“I will like to appeal to the CBN to make more money available because people are really suffering,” she said.

Also, Mr Esla Kuje, a trader from Nasarawa Eggon thanked CBN for ameliorating their plight by creating more cash points.

He noted that POS operators had taken advantage of the scarcity of the new redesigned naira notes to exploit people through exorbitant charges.